Inkjet printers can be, and often are incorporated into production lines such as manufacturing lines. Specifically, such production lines typically process articles and, at some point in the production process, may either print on the article itself, or print on some label that is applied to or already affixed to the article. In many of these types of production lines, the printing operation may not necessarily be the primary operation that is performed, but rather constitutes an ancillary operation.
Generally, there are different types of operations that an inkjet printer can perform. Some of these operations involve the actual act of printing, and other operations pertain to, or in some way support the actual act of printing.
As an example of one of these latter types of operation, consider self-maintenance and servicing operations. In the context of inkjet printers, such self-maintenance and servicing operations can include such things as spitting an amount of ink to “warm up” the inkjet pen or cartridge, wiping the pen to reduce the likelihood of clogging, and capping the pen to keep the nozzles adequately hydrated.
In the production line context, the inkjet printer is often a standalone component and the printing operation is triggered by a sensor that is located very close in proximity to the printer. Because of the close proximity of such sensors, it is often the case that the inkjet printer has very little time to prepare for a printing operation.